The New York Knicks (18-15) made a surprising trade with the Toronto Raptors on Saturday, sending RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, as well as a 2024 second-round pick, in exchange for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn.

While losing important pieces of their young core is hazardous, Anunoby — who led the NBA in thefts last season — is a clear upgrade for a Knicks club that is struggling defensively. Furthermore, the agreement provides the road for the Knicks to sign a star in the future, but they can’t afford to miss out on whoever that is.In the meantime, here are three players New York should target to get the most out of the Anunoby acquisition.

With the lack of clarity surrounding the current trade market, it’s difficult to predict whether Knicks president Leon Rose will be able to (or should try to) pull off his long-awaited big splash mid-season. Nonetheless, trading for DeRozan, an impending free agent, could be an advantageous move to elevate the team’s ceiling while New York waits for its long-term answer at shooting guard.

Sitting in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 15-19 record, the Chicago Bulls could finally decide to be sellers at the Feb. 8 trade deadline. DeRozan, 34, seems like the likeliest Bull to be on his way out of town and would prefer to be traded to the Miami Heat or the Knicks, per The Athletic’s Sam Amick. Although the six-time All-Star is off to his worst start to a season with Chicago, his averages of 22.2 points, 5.4 assists and 34.5% shooting from three-point range all exceed his career marks.

Cost-wise, DeRozan shouldn’t command too much in a deal, but that could be subject to change depending on which teams get involved and the direction Chicago plans to head in. Perhaps some of New York’s draft capital and shooting guard Evan Fournier’s expiring deal could appeal to Chicago as the centerpiece of a DeRozan trade. And if it’s still unclear which star the Knicks ultimately intend to pursue by the time free agency rolls around, re-signing DeRozan on a short-term deal could be a viable interim solution.

In light of NBA insider Marc Stein’s recent report that the Knicks “do not intend to mount an all-out pursuit of” Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Murray might be the most prominent player they could consider targeting. Following last Saturday’s Anunoby trade, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported that the team plans to continue being active on the trade market, and Murray is someone it has an interest in acquiring.

Atlanta is off to a rocky 13-19 start after last season’s deflating first-round exit from the playoffs, though Murray has been effective. The 27-year-old is averaging 20.5 points, 5.2 assists and 1.5 steals this season while shooting from distance at his best since his 38-game rookie season (38.3%). Even so, since Murray’s production hasn’t translated into wins, Atlanta may opt to recoup some of the draft capital it spent to acquire him in June of 2022, which consisted of three first-round picks and forward Danilo Gallinari.

Given that the backcourt pairing of Murray and Trae Young has been largely unsuccessful, it’s fair to question whether the former would be a fit alongside another small guard in Jalen Brunson. However, New York has a more talented supporting cast than Atlanta which also complements Murray’s skill set, especially if he’s able to shoot at his current clip from beyond the arc. Not to mention that Murray’s 6-foot-5 frame might be better suited next to Brunson than 6-foot-3 Mitchell for defensive purposes.